1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to a locking assembly for securing a door for a cage, particularly the door for a bird cage.
More particularly, the present invention provides a relatively simple, yet highly effective locking assembly for a bird cage comprising a substantially M-shaped, or scissored-shaped, wire support, with finger grips, for locking the cage door. The M-shaped wire support is also capable of supporting the bird cage door when the door is in an open position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art, generally, includes various latching, closure and hooking articles and assemblies, as broadly represented by Thielepape et al., U.S. Pat. No. 158,334, issued Dec. 29, 1874; Morrison, U.S. Pat. No. 637,643, issued Nov. 21, 1899; Alexander, U.S. Pat. No. 654,044, issued Jul. 17, 1900; Cilley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,102,720, issued Jul. 7, 1914; Williamson, U.S. Pat. No. 1,313,969, issued Aug. 26, 1919; Hines, U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,228, issued Oct. 22, 1940; Jason, U.S. Pat. No. 2,312,821, issued Mar. 2, 1943; Ducharme et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,920,915; Getzin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,557, issued Aug. 13, 1963; Jacobs, U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,961, issued Jan. 4, 1966; and, Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,559, issued Nov. 16, 1971.
The latching and closure assemblies of the cited prior art are for a very wide variety of articles and apparatuses, ranging from cooking vessels, to screen doors and washing machines. Of the art known to the inventor, only U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,920,925 and 3,620,559 would even appear to pertain to cages or the like. Each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,920,925 and 3,620,559 teach the use of latching assemblies which would appear to rely upon a cross-bar to retain the cage door therein in a closed and locked state. Neither of said prior art patents would appear to teach or suggest a cage locking assembly having an M-shape and which is reliant upon a resilient fit between the two lower portions of the M-shaped, or scissored-shaped, article and the vertical bars comprising the cage.
Additionally, none of the prior art known to the inventor provides a latching or locking assembly which is, in the alternative, capable of supporting a conventional bird cage door in an open position.
To date, the prior art has failed to provide a simple and convenient locking assembly for the door of a bird cage, which avoids the unsightly drawbacks inherent with the use of a standard cross-bar and which is capable of being secured and locked by the user utilizing only a single hand.